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Tag: johnston county

  • Central NC braces for slick roads as melted ice and sleet refreezes overnight

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    Residents in and around the Triangle are experiencing the aftermath of the winter storm that moved through the area, making travel hazardous and prompting many residents to remain indoors. 

    The winter storm has left roads slick and sidewalks treacherous, creating a significant challenge for both pedestrians and drivers alike.

    While hours of sunlight provided some relief by melting portions of the ice, shaded areas remain dangerously slippery.

    “The alleyway right beside our building right now has a patch of ice at the bottom of it that I think is already starting to cool back off and harden,” said Daryn O’Shea, the owner of IT guys. “It’s going to be treacherous. Driving around town, I hit some little spots at the top of the intersection, so that you need to slow down before getting to.”

    Crews working for the city of Durham have been hard at work, working extended hours, prioritizing the clearing and treating of main roads.

    Despite these efforts, many secondary roads remain coated in ice, posing ongoing risks for the community. People living in the city are confident the remaining ice won’t pose too much of an issue for the morning commute.

    “I see it may be a little patchy tomorrow. But also, I feel like it was manageable today, so I feel like it will still be manageable tomorrow,” said Issy Theriot, who lives in Durham.

    As the community braces for another cold night, the focus has turned to refreezing on the ground. Residents are urged to exercise caution on the roads and sidewalks, as efforts continue to treat the streets.

    ‘It slid twice on me’: Johnston County bracing for long thaw from ice and sleet

    In Johnston County, despite DOT officials saying most of the interstates and highways in the county are safe and clear, first responders are still cautioning drivers to be mindful of the lasting impacts into Tuesday.

    For Mike Winters of Selma, he thought little of the storm, as he’s seen similar situations.

    “A little Hyundai Sonata. It slid twice on me, but I’m originally from Ohio.

    According to DOT, the department dropped more than 130,000 gallons of brine before and during the weekend winter storm in Johnston County alone. They also dropped another 600 tons of salt on Saturday as the storm moved in.

    Despite the road preparations, county officials reported 11 crashes as of Monday afternoon, part of the more than 1,300 incidents State Highway Patrol responded to throughout the weekend, including a jackknifed tractor-trailer that closed I-95 for hours.

    “I can only imagine the number is higher, we had a couple crashes since lunchtime,” said Hannah Horne, an EMS captain in Johnston County.

    Horne added that even if the roads are mostly clear, small ice spots can still be a big problem for experienced drivers.

    “We have changed our operational plan and we are expecting for everything to refreeze this evening so anything that has not completely, or has not dissipated at this time will refreeze later,” Horne said. “So we are really encouraging our crew and everyone else to remain cautious.”

    Winters said he will be taking that advice, even if his friends from Ohio make fun of him for it.

    “I got friends in Ohio, [and] I complained it was 25 [degrees],” Winters said. “They were like, ‘Shut up, it’s 8 [degrees].’”

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  • Man who threatened Johnston deputies is fatally shot, sheriff’s office says

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    News & Observer breaking news photo including an ambulance

    A man was shot and killed inside a home in Johnston County late Sunday morning.

    A Johnston County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man inside a home late Sunday morning after authorities say the man threatened them with a gun.

    The sheriff’s office has not released the man’s name. But it says he was in a home on Madden Rose Loop, just west of the Interstate 40 interchange with N.C. 42.

    Deputies were called to the home at about 11:30 a.m. by a woman who said a family member was “acting strange and discharging his firearm inside the residence,” according to Jeff Caldwell, chief deputy sheriff.

    Deputies confronted the man and asked him several times to put the gun down, Caldwell wrote in a statement.

    “The man made remarks and challenged the deputies with the firearm,” he wrote. “A deputy was forced to defend himself and as a result, the man was shot.”

    Deputies tried to keep the man alive but were unsuccessful, according to Caldwell. None of the deputies was injured.

    The sheriff’s office has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to take charge of the case — standard protocol with a shooting involving a law enforcement officer. The deputies involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation is conducted, also standard practice.

    This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 5:18 PM.

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    Richard Stradling

    The News & Observer

    Richard Stradling covers transportation for The News & Observer. Planes, trains and automobiles, plus ferries, bicycles, scooters and just plain walking. He’s been a reporter or editor for 38 years, including the last 26 at The N&O. 919-829-4739, rstradling@newsobserver.com.

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  • ‘Electrical malfunction’ caused fatal NC Christmas Day fire, investigators say

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    Two men died in their burning home on Red Oak Drive in Johnston County on Christmas morning, 2025.

    Two men died in their burning home on Red Oak Drive in Johnston County on Christmas morning, 2025.


    Richard Stradling

    rstradling@newsobserver.com

    The house fire in Johnston County that killed a father and his adult son on Christmas morning was likely caused by an electrical problem, investigators say.

    The fire started before dawn in the home on Red Oak Drive, between Smithfield and the Cleveland community, and spread quickly, according to Wilson’s Mills Fire & Rescue Chief Jason Moore.

    Firefighters found John Jones and his son Scott dead inside. Both men were disabled, which made it difficult for them to get out, Moore said.

    Neighbors told The News & Observer that Scott was in his 50s and had cerebral palsy, which confined him to a wheelchair They said his father had diabetes, which had left him blind.

    They said John’s wife suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation as she tried to help the men get out. She spent some time in an ambulance but declined to be taken to a hospital, Moore said.

    Investigators determined the fire was caused by an “unspecified electrical malfunction,” said Travis Johnson, the county fire marshal. Johnson said the home’s circuit breaker tripped, but it’s not clear why.

    “We could not narrow down what exact component failed,” he wrote in an email.

    It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, Moore said. The house was cluttered with debris, which firefighters continued to pick through and douse with water for another hour to ensure none of it was still burning.

    Related Stories from Raleigh News & Observer

    Richard Stradling

    The News & Observer

    Richard Stradling covers transportation for The News & Observer. Planes, trains and automobiles, plus ferries, bicycles, scooters and just plain walking. He’s been a reporter or editor for 38 years, including the last 26 at The N&O. 919-829-4739, rstradling@newsobserver.com.

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  • Wendell man held without bond after alleged Johnston County home invasion and assault of couple

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    A Wendell man accused of breaking into a Four Oaks home
    and assaulting a couple appeared in court Friday.

    A judge ordered that Thomas Wright be held without bond at the Johnston County Detention Center. Before Friday, Wright had a
    $250,000 bond.

    Wright, 39, is charged with:

    • Two counts of felony breaking and entering to terrorize or injure
    • Two counts of assault with serious bodily injury
    • Two counts of attempted larceny

    A court document states Wright assaulted 74-year-old Teresa
    Rhodes and 81-year-old James Rhodes who were living in the home along Devils Race Track
    Road north of Stewart Road in Four Oaks. He is accused of hitting both in the face. Both the
    woman and man received treatment at the hospital, according to the document.

    Johnston County District Attorney Jason Waller said it’s the
    state’s intent to upgrade the charges to two counts of burglary, which he said
    are more serious charges as Class D felonies.

    Waller said during the daytime on New Year’s Eve, Wright was
    trespassing in Ronnie’s Country Store.

    “Mr. Wright then proceeded down Devils Racetrack Road where
    he came into contact with the Rhodes family,” Waller said. “James Rhodes will
    tell you he was outside, he heard his dogs barking, at that point he saw this
    individual, Mr. Wright [went] to his screen door, started yanking on it, and
    then he kicked in the screen door, at which time, James [Rhodes] followed Mr. Wright
    inside, and saw Mr. Wright assault his wife, Teresa, then ransacked the home
    and started to assault Mr. Rhodes, himself.”

    Waller said Wright then tried entering a neighbor’s house.
    However, Waller said the neighbor was able to stop him.

    Wright is also accused of trying to steal a 2016 Honda CRV
    and a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, according to the court documents.

    According to Waller, a family member of the Rhodes saw
    Wright walking down the street and detained him until law enforcement arrived.

    Teresa Rhodes is still in ICU at WakeMed, according to Waller.

    “She has a broken eye socket, a concussion, a CT scan showed
    multiple brain bleeding, hematoma and suspected eye damage,” Waller said.

    James Rhodes was discharged from ICU on New Year’s Day,
    Waller said.

    “He suffered a broken nose, a broken eye socket, laceration
    to his ear, trace bleeding in his brain, multiple hematomas, and he had just
    had open heart surgery,” Waller said.

    Waller said Wright had three prior convictions, two of which
    are assaults and an indecent exposure charge.

    “Having your house broken into on New Year’s Day on broad
    daylight and being assaulted certainly shows that someone is a danger to the
    public,” Waller said.

    Wright is due in court again on Jan. 22.

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  • Christmas morning house fire kills father and his adult son in Johnston County

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    Two men died in their burning home on Red Oak Drive in Johnston County on Christmas morning.

    Two men died in their burning home on Red Oak Drive in Johnston County on Christmas morning.


    Richard Stradling

    rstradling@newsobserver.com

    A father and his adult son died in their burning home in Johnston County early Christmas morning, authorities said.

    Both men were disabled, which made it difficult to escape the home on Red Oak Drive. A third resident was able to get out, authorities said.

    Neighbors told The News & Observer the men are John Jones and his son Scott. They said Scott was in his 50s and had cerebral palsy, which confined him to a wheelchair They said his father had diabetes, which had left him blind. They said John’s wife suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation as she tried to help the men get out.

    Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the Thursday morning fire, which gutted the single-story house.

    Someone called 911 to report the fire at 5:07 a.m. A truck and crew from the Wilson’s Mills Fire & Rescue station on Cleveland Road, about a mile away, was there within minutes, according to fire Chief Jason Moore.

    When they arrived, flames were visible from the front of the house and were spreading to the roof, Moore said. Firefighters learned someone may be trapped inside, he said, and pushed in through the front door.

    About 10 feet inside the living room they found one of the two men dead on the floor, Moore said. By then, most of the house was in flames and the roof was beginning to fall in, he said. So firefighters retreated outside.

    They then learned that a second person was still inside. When they determined it was safe to go back in, firefighters again went through the front door, Moore said. After about 10 minutes, they found the second man dead on the floor of a hallway, about eight from where they found the first one, he said.

    Moore said the third resident of the home spent some time in an ambulance but declined to be taken to a hospital. She is receiving help from the American Red Cross.

    It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, Moore said. The house was cluttered with debris, and firefighters spent another hour or so making sure none of it was still burning.

    “It’s going to continue to smolder the next day or so,” Moore said.

    He said about two dozen firefighters and five EMS personnel responded to the fire. The Wilson’s Mills department had help from neighboring departments in Cleveland, Four Oaks, Selma and Smithfield.

    This story was originally published December 25, 2025 at 1:25 PM.

    Related Stories from Raleigh News & Observer

    Richard Stradling

    The News & Observer

    Richard Stradling covers transportation for The News & Observer. Planes, trains and automobiles, plus ferries, bicycles, scooters and just plain walking. He’s been a reporter or editor for 38 years, including the last 26 at The N&O. 919-829-4739, rstradling@newsobserver.com.

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  • Alcohol and speed said to be factors in Johnston County crash that left one dead and one arrested

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    All lanes of US-70 are reopened after a deadly crash in Johnston County
    on Sunday.

    State troopers were called around 6:30 p.m. to US-70 near Old Cornwallis
    Road.

    Troopers said a pickup truck ran into the back of a SUV that was turning
    into a driveway on US-70 near Princeton. The driver of the SUV died on the scene.

    Troopers say alcohol and speed were a factor in the crash. The driver of
    the pickup truck has been arrested.

    Troopers have not released the names of anyone involved, nor any information about the charges of the person arrested. WRAL News has
    reached out for more information.

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  • Pedestrian killed while walking onto US Highway 70 in Johnston County

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    A pedestrian was killed in Johnston County Friday night in an area known for poor lighting.

    A pedestrian was killed in Johnston County Friday night in an area known for poor lighting.

    Wilson’s Mills Police Department

    A man was killed after a car hit him while he was walking on U.S. Highway 70 in Johnston County Friday night, according to local police.

    The crash happened at 11:49 p.m. Friday in Wilson’s Mills, a town roughly 26 miles southeast of Raleigh. The man was trying to cross U.S. 70 from the eastbound side to get help after his car got a flat tire, Wilson’s Mills police said Saturday morning. No charges are anticipated against the driver, police said. Speed was not a factor in the crash, and the driver was not impaired.

    “This appears to have been a tragic accident in an area known for poor lighting,” Wilson’s Mills Police Chief A.Z. Williams said. “Several years ago there was a similar pedestrian/vehicle fatality in the same area.”

    As the driver — in a 2005 Toyota Camry, driving home after officiating a local football game — prepared to take exit 330 from the westbound lane of U.S. 70 to Wilson’s Mills Road, he struck the man, police said. The driver immediately called 911 and stayed on the scene, thinking at first he had struck a deer.

    The pedestrian was found unresponsive, face down in the roadway, police said. He was declared dead on the scene. Police know his identity but are withholding it while they notify his family.

    A woman was in the car with the victim, police said. She left for unknown reasons prior to being interviewed but was briefly spoken to. She said the vehicle had a flat tire and her boyfriend was walking to the nearby Handy Mart to get help.

    The investigation is continuing, police said. State Highway Patrol assisted local police at the scene.

    Twumasi Duah-Mensah

    The News & Observer

    Twumasi Duah-Mensah is a breaking news reporter for The News & Observer. He began at The N&O as a summer intern on the metro desk. Born and raised in the Triangle, Duah-Mensah has previously interned for WUNC and NC Health News. Send him tips and good tea places at (919) 283-1187.

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  • Pentagon-backed RTP startup eyes Johnston County for rare-earth magnets plant

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    A Pentagon-backed Research Triangle Park startup could announce as soon as Tuesday plans for a major manufacturing plant in Johnston County — a deal that, if consummated, could make North Carolina a U.S. hub for rare-earth magnets.

    RTP-based Vulcan Elements earlier this month announced a $1.4 billion deal with the federal government that would help the company meet its goal of producing up to 10,000 metric tons of Neodymium Iron Boron magnets over several years. The magnets are used in commercial products such as medical devices, electric vehicles, wind turbines, computer chips, and in defense applications such as fighter jets, nuclear submarines and satellites.

    People familiar with the effort told WRAL that the company has been considering an expansion that could create upwards of 1,000 jobs and an investment approaching $1 billion. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the negotiations. 

    There is no guarantee North Carolina will land the plant, the people said. Vulcan Chief Executive John Maslin told WRAL News this month that the company was engaged in a monthslong, multi-state hunt for expansion sites and that the company expected to make an announcement by the end of November. 

    A Vulcan spokesman on Monday declined to comment on the company’s plans. 

    The Johnston County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday morning is holding a special public hearing, where it could approve a proposed economic development agreement for an undisclosed manufacturer considering an expansion in Banner Township. The hearing would follow a meeting of the state Commerce Department’s Economic Investment Committee, which approves state incentives for companies with plans to expand in North Carolina. After the meetings, Gov. Josh Stein is scheduled to make an economic development announcement at an industrial property near the Johnston County town of Benson. 

    County economic development officials declined to identify the company or describe the project, which was described in a public hearing notice that also didn’t identify the company. David Rhoades, a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce, also declined to discuss the nature of the state’s meeting, adding that the state’s corporate recruiters frequently have discussions with companies about expansion plans. “We don’t comment on those discussions until the companies make a public announcement of their decision,” he said.

    Other people familiar with the negotiations told WRAL News that Vulcan would be the subject of those discussions and the announcement. 

    Economic development deals are often kept secret, protected from the state’s open records laws to enable state and local governments to negotiate with companies and to allow companies to explore options before finalizing major decisions. 

    It’s common for state and local officials to coordinate the timing of economic development meetings around corporate announcements. Officials often vote on incentives ahead of major economic development announcements, and often on the same day. Public meetings intended to discuss incentives are typically scheduled only after a company has committed to a location.

    Stein’s announcement is at the Crosspoint Logistics Center. The project identified in the county notice is proposing its expansion at Crosspoint,  which is south of the nexus of Interstate 95 and I-40. 

    The state’s performance-based incentives packages are often reserved for companies that plan to create lots of jobs that pay above the county average. Grants are typically paid out if the company meets annual hiring and investment targets. 

    The county is considering a proposal that includes economic incentives in the form of annual cash grants over a 15-year period — to be paid only after job-creation and investment targets have been met, according to the county notice. 

    “The county believes this project will help stimulate the local economy, result in new taxable capital investments in real and personal property increasing the tax base, and cause the creation by the company of a substantial number of new, permanent jobs,” the county’s hearing announcement said. 

    Federal funding boost

    The federal government’s interest in Vulcan is centered on its efforts to strengthen the nation’s domestic supply of rare-earth magnets.

    The U.S. Department of Commerce said Nov. 3 that it struck a preliminary agreement to receive a $50 million equity stake in Vulcan. The company’s expansion would be financed in part by a $620 million direct loan from the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital, $50 million of federal incentives from the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act, and $550 million in private capital, the company said. Indiana-based ReElement Technologies would also expand its recycling and processing capabilities under the deal, with help from an $80 million direct loan from the Pentagon, matched by private capital.

    The planned federal incentives for Vulcan would fund equipment used for the domestic production of its magnets. ReElement Technologies processes end-of-life magnets, electronic waste, and mined concentrates into high-purity rare earth oxides.

    “We know that here in the United States, we need resilient, secure supply chains, both for national security, but also for economic resilience,” Maslin, the Vulcan CEO, told WRAL News in an interview after the deal was struck with the federal government. “If we want to win the AI race, these go in data centers, if we want to build out drones for agriculture, consumer delivery, if we want to lead the robotics revolution, if we want to build cars in this country, we need to make sure that we have capacity of critical components here in the US.

    Vulcan Elements’ magnets have already been delivered to customers in the defense and technology sectors. Vulcan and ReElement have worked together to help strengthen domestic supply of rare-earth magnets to build security around some of the nation’s most important sectors, executives said.

    “Our investment in Vulcan Elements will accelerate U.S. production of rare earth magnets for American manufacturers,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in a statement after the federal financing deal was struck earlier this month. “We are laser-focused on bringing critical mineral and rare earth manufacturing back home, ensuring America’s supply chain is strong, secure and perfectly reliable.” 

    WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran contributed to this report. 

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  • New evidence reveals fifth child dead in Johnston County murder case

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    New warrants released Monday reveal the Zebulon father accused of murdering his four children had a fifth child, whom he buried behind the family’s home. 

    Wellington Dickens III is facing multiple counts of first-degree murder. He was arrested in October, after calling 911 and telling the dispatcher he’d killed the children through a combination of neglect and over-discipline. 

    The warrants released Monday say Dickens and his wife also had a fifth child, named Riley, who died shortly after the family moved into the Zebulon home. Court records show Dickens took possession of the home in May 2023. 

    Dickens told investigators that Riley was about a month old when the child’s health began to decline. It’s not clear how Riley died. 

    After the child died, Dickens said he wrapped the body in paper or plastic material and buried the child in a four-foot-deep unmarked grave in a wooded area behind the home. Investigators said Riley’s death was never reported in any capacity. 

    Family members told investigators they had never seen, heard from or about Riley once the family moved.

    Investigators have been searching for Riley’s grave, but so far, they have not found any signs of the baby’s body.

    Neighbors told WRAL News that sheriff’s deputies and members of the State Bureau of Investigation have visited the home multiple times since Dickens was arrested. That includes one visit on October 31, when a video shared by neighbors shows Dickens himself leading investigators across the property. In the video, Dickens is wearing an orange and white jumpsuit and has his hands and feet shackled. 

    Listen to the 911 call: Johnston County dad tells dispatcher he killed his four children

    He told dispatchers he did not use a knife or gun to kill the children. According to arrest warrants, he over-disciplined them and wanted to turn himself in.

    The warrants also revealed the order in which the other children died.

    According to investigators, Dickens said his 5-year-old daughter, Leah Dickens, was the first to die. He said he had disciplined her, and after returning to her room to check on her, she was dead.

    Dickens said his 9-year-old daughter, Zoe Dickens, was the next child to die. According to warrants, Dickens told investigators that Zoe began asking about her sister. Dickens admitted to investigators that he taped her mouth shut to discipline her, and when he returned to check on her, she was also dead.

    Dickens told investigators his 10-year-old son, Wellington Dickens IV, was the third child to die. According to arrest warrants, Dickens said he was teaching the boy how to box. He said the boy had stopped eating, and his father believed he died from malnutrition.

    The fourth child to die was his 18-year-old stepson, Sean Brasfield, who he believed also died from malnutrition.

    Warrants also revealed that much of the inside of Dickens’ home had recently been repainted. These warrants say Dickens had also been searching Amazon for a type of paint capable of covering up stains.

    Investigators now want to bring in chemicals that could reveal bloodstains under that paint.

    The investigation is still active and ongoing.

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  • Johnston man charged with killing his 4 kids says a 5th is also dead, warrants say

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    4 children killed in Johnston County

    A man in Zebulon, NC, is charged with four counts of murder after he confessed to killing four of his children, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said Oct. 28, 2025. Here is ongoing coverage.

    Expand All

    ABC11 is The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner.

    New details emerged Monday from recently unsealed search warrants in the case of Wellington Dickens III, who is charged with killing four of his children over the span of several months.

    The warrants include information about how some of his children may have died and the existence of another child, whose death is now under scrutiny.

    Dickens was arrested and charged in late October with four counts of first-degree murder after he called 911 and said he killed his three biological children and his stepson.

    The deaths happened between May and September at Dickens’ home in Zebulon. He confessed to killing the four after telling law enforcement officers that he overdisciplined his children.

    But in newly unsealed search warrants, Dickens told investigators that his 1-month-old son, Riley, died shortly after the family moved into their Zebulon home.

    According to warrants, Dickens said he wrapped the child’s body in paper or plastic material. Warrants say he told investigators he buried the young child about 4 feet into the ground in the woods behind the house.

    The warrants say investigators interviewed family members, who told them they never saw Riley after he was born. Documents also attest that law enforcement investigators have yet to discover the infant’s remains.

    A search of the home also showed there were several bugs atop the Honda Civic, where Dickens said he put the bodies of his four children. Details in the warrant allege that the home smelled of an odor consistent with decomposition, and there were obvious attempts to clean up evidence.

    According to Dickens’ search history on Amazon, a package of Zinnser Covers Up Stain Sealing Paint was delivered to the residence in early September. Investigators were able to use a chemical that traces blood at crime scenes after they’ve been covered up with paint.

    What neighbors say

    Peggy Inserra’s backyard butts up against the woods where Dickens said he buried the infant.She said she got up recently and saw cadaver dogs in the woods.

    “It’s horrible. It’s very sad and very upsetting and very distressing that the view from my house is looking into woods where he supposedly buried that child,” Inserra told ABC11. “Anybody can be somebody we don’t think they are.”

    The news also caught next-door-neighbor Josalyn Tabron by surprise.

    “We never knew (of the 1-month-old). This is crazy. The whole situation is really crazy,” Tabron said. “(The sheriff’s office has) been coming back and forth, you know, but other than that, they just come, they go. They come, they go. But they never really told the full details of what happened.”

    After Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Jones, died after a miscarriage, Inserra said she would take food to the family, but she had no idea what was going on next door.

    “And I just thought, oh, my God, there’s a monster living two doors down from me,” she said. “And I never realized it. And I interacted with him. And like my family said, thank God he never went in his house. Or maybe he would have hurt you or something. I’m like, I guess God protected me.”

    Details from warrants

    The day following Dickens’ arrest, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell reacted to the murders.

    “Folks, there is no motive at this point why Mr. Dickens murdered these children,” said Bizzell. “But as the sheriff, as a father, and as a grandfather, I can stand here and say there is no reason for a father to murder his children.”

    The documents go on to say that one of Dickens’ daughters died after he went back to her room to check on her. The warrants continue to read that Dickens’ 9-year-old daughter began to make comments about her sister passing away, and he allegedly taped her mouth shut as a form of discipline. When he returned to check on her, she, too, had died.

    Documents also say Dickens’ 10-year-old son stopped eating, and he believes the boy died from malnutrition. His stepson, 18-year-old Sean Brasfield, is believed to have also died from malnutrition.

    Dickens has since been transferred from Johnston County Jail to Central Prison in Raleigh for his safety.

    “The whole situation is really devastating because it’s like, you know, how could somebody actually do this to their kids?” Tabron said. “But it’s just crazy.”

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  • Arrest made, truck impounded in fatal hit-and-run of Pike Electric lineman

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    An arrest has been made in the hit-and-run death of a lineman with Pike Electric in Johnston County.

    Ronald Thomas Mayo, 44, of Smithfield, was arrested at a residence off US-70 in Johnston County late Thursday, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said. 

    Mayo is charged with felony hit and run involving death. He was transported to the Johnston County Detention Center awaiting his first court appearance Friday at 2 p.m. He was being held under $50,000 bond. 

    The flatbed Sewer Cleaner truck he was driving was located and impounded. 

    The charges stem from an incident just before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on Live Oak Church Road. The highway patrol said that Mayo disregarded a stop signal given by traffic control personnel who were halting traffic due to low-hanging power lines.

    Repair technicians were working on the power lines as the truck traveled through the scene and became entangled with one of the low-hanging wires. This caused one of the repair technicians, James P. Rudzki, 29, of Wendell, to fall to the ground, resulting in fatal injuries.

    Another lineman was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

    The highway patrol said that Mayo failed to remain at the scene.

    The owner of the truck, who is a family member of the driver, released a statement following the arrest 

    “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the Pike electric worker recently killed in the unfortunate accident. The driver of the vehicle was not even aware of their apparent involvement until recently. There is much incorrect information being shared and we look forward to a complete investigation of this unfortunate incident.”

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  • Crash closes all I-95 southbound lanes in Johnston County, east of Selma

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    The southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Johnston County are closed due to a crash. 

    The crash and closure are in between Exits 102 (toward E Main Street) and 105 (toward Bagley Road), east of Selma. 

    Johnston County deputies are investigating a crash that involved two 18-wheel tractor-trailers. State Highway Patrol said the driver of the truck that is completely destroyed was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The other driver is okay. 

    SHP is still investigating how the crash happened. 

    The WRAL Breaking News Tracker saw a severely damaged truck cab next to a pretty intact tractor-trailer. There are packages and debris strewn on the side of the road. 

    According to traffic alerts, the road closed around 6 a.m. It’s expected to fully reopen just after 8 a.m. 

    Drivers can take U.S. Highway 301 to detour around the I-95 south closure. 

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  • N.C. track star from the Philippines sets sights on 2028 Olympics

    N.C. track star from the Philippines sets sights on 2028 Olympics

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    CLAYTON, N.C. — CJ Martin, a graduate of Clayton High School, has laced up his cleats more times than he can count before running a race. He’s won most.

    The small-town kid is on his way to one of the premiere conferences in college sports, moving to Bloomington, Indiana to run track for the Hoosiers in the Big 10 on a scholarship. However, earning glory in the college ranks isn’t his only goal.

    What You Need To Know

    •  CJ Martin graduated from Clayton High School in 2024

    •  Martin owns more than 10 track records for Clayton High School, is a state champion and an All-American

    •  Martin is moving to Bloomington, Indiana to run for Indiana University in the Big 10 on a track scholarship

    • Martin is in the process of claiming dual citizenship with the Philippines so that he can run for them in the 2028 Olympics 


    Martin wants to run in the Olympics and has his eyes on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He’s a sprinter and long-distance runner, who owns more than 10 track records at Clayton High. He’s a multi-state champion and an All-American, yet, if he eventually runs in the Olympics, he won’t be wearing red, white and blue. He’ll be representing his mother’s heritage and home of the Philippines. 

    “Pan-Asians, we stand out in these types of sports, football and track,” Martin said. “So I just wanna show them that you can do it too, don’t look down. I always had a chip on my shoulder, and looked over for so many years, and I’m on top now. And I just want to represent a country that doesn’t get as much spotlight in sports.”

    The feeling Martin gets when he runs is unlike anything else he’s ever felt. He’s run thousands of miles and races with a feeling of euphoria, but he also feels something else when running. 

    “When I run, I just black out. I don’t think about nothing, to be honest. There’s no thinking when I run. I don’t see a point in thinking. I just, there’s only one thing to do is to run. And that finish line,” he said. “My whole life, I’ve been the smallest. I’ve looked different. I’ve been overlooked.”

    Whether it’s because of his size, background or geographical location, Martin has had to overcome a lot, but he’s done it. His current 400-meter race times for example, are already better than those of the current 400-meter runners for the 2024 Philippines runners in this year’s Olympics in Paris.

    “Records only last for a little while, but I’m trying to make mine last forever. So I’m trying to make my name embedded in a school. No one can break it, that’s always been my goal. I want my name down in history forever.,” Martin said. 


    Luckily for Martin, he has the footprint for success in running on the international stage. He’s not looking at runners like Quincy Hall, Michael Norman or Chris Bailey. He’s looking right in his own backyard, at Clayton High School, where over about 14 years ago, American track star and silver medalist winner at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Kenni Harrison went to school. Martin hopes to become the second Olympic champion to attend Clayton High School, a town of around 30,000 people. 

    “A lot of people know me here and watched me grow up and become who I am, so I just wanna go and make them proud,” Martin said. “It’s a small town. We haven’t really been out on the map like that. I feel like we deserve to be on a bigger platform than we already are. So it’s cool, it’s better to be an underdog. You got something to prove. Got a goal to achieve. I’m just trying to make that goal easier for everyone else to get in that spotlight.”

    Martin’s coach, who has coached seven different athletes to North Carolina state championships, was also around when Harrison was a student dominating track and field at Clayton. Kesrick Frazier is a sprint coach at the high school and coached Harrison when she was just beginning her journey. He sees many of Harrison’s characteristics in Martin and says it’s a recipe for success.

    “I think CJ, he kind of reminds me of Keni, as far as work ethics, he put a lot into his craft by, by trying to be the best,” Frazier said. “Right. every day, in and out, when he comes to the track, he tries to work to become somebody great. Ever since he was a freshman, I saw that trait in him. I saw him as an athlete, that he’s a leader. He comes out every day ready to run, ready to compete. And that shows on a track.”

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    Evan Abramson

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  • 8 students injured in school bus crash in Johnston County

    8 students injured in school bus crash in Johnston County

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    SMITHFIELD, N.C. (WTVD) — There was a school bus accident Monday morning in Johnston County.

    It happened on Stevens Chapel Road in Smithfield around 8 a.m.

    Eight students were injured. Six were taken to a hospital in Smithfield, while two were taken to one in Wake County. ABC11 is told the most serious injury was a femur fracture.

    The parents of uninjured students were notified and allowed to sign waivers for no treatment before taking them home for the day.

    The bus driver, Karen Alice Hauver, ran off the road and then overcorrected across the center line and hit a mailbox and tree according to the sheriffs office.

    The bus then went across the road where it landed on a street sign and finally came to a stop. The driver has been charged with a left of center violation.

    Students from 5-11 years old were on their way to Princeton Elementary School when the crash happened. 22 students were onboard.

    Impairment, speed or drugs were not a factor in the crash.

    The Johnston County School System is doing an independent investigation.

    This is the second serious school bus crash in as many school days for Johnston County students.

    On Friday, a speeding driver crashed into a school bus near the intersection of Crocker Lane and Webb Mill Road in the Four Oaks Community, which is about five miles south of Smithfield.

    The force of the crash pushed the school bus off the road and into someone’s front yard. Fourteen students and a driver were on board the bus when it crashed. Eight students were taken to the hospital for treatment.

    Surveillance video captured the bus veering off the road and coming to a stop in the front yard. It also captured the suspected speeding driver running away from the crash.

    According to Johnston County Public Schools, 14 students and a driver were on the bus at the time of the crash.

    The driver, Trevor Elijah Jordan Grice, 30, was later arrested and charged with felony hit and run and more.

    Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    WTVD

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  • NC man accused of kidnaping 1-year-old, 4-year-old from hotel in custody after chase, crash

    NC man accused of kidnaping 1-year-old, 4-year-old from hotel in custody after chase, crash

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    Friday, March 22, 2024 12:49AM

    ABC11 24/7 Streaming Channel

    ABC11 24/7 Streaming ChannelWatch Eyewitness News, First Alert Weather, and original programming.

    LUMBERTON, N.C. (WTVD) — A man was taken into custody Thursday evening after he was accused of kidnapping two children from a hotel.

    According to the Lumberton Police Department, officers responded to calls about an alleged kidnapping of a one-year-old and four-year-old at the Econo Lodge in Lumberton. Detectives were then able to gather information on the location of the suspect’s vehicle and contacted the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) and the FBI.

    While taking steps to possibly issue an Amber Alert, police said NCSHP troopers spotted the suspect’s vehicle. As Johnston County deputies and troopers attempted to stop the driver, he crashed along I-440 in Johnston County.

    The suspect was taken into custody and the children were taken to the hospital to be evaluated, police say.

    The man’s identity has not been released.

    No charges have been filed at this time.

    Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    WTVD

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